Ad Fact Check: Connie Scott-Bob Perry link

Both District 34 candidates received money from Perry-supported political action committees

"Billionaire Home Builder Bob Perry spend over $15 million to scratch the back of Republicans... so whose back do you think Connie Scott is going to scratch, the billionaire's, or yours.

Bob Perry is the biggest campaign contributor in the country. And he's used to getting his way. Perry spend over $15 million to elect Republicans and millions more on lobbyists to protect his financial interests. Connie Scott took over $9,000 from Texans for Lawsuit Reform, the organization that Perry helped build with his own money. What does he want in return?

The fact is, Connie Scott and her husband, Mike, have been scratching Bob Perry's back for years. Mike serves on the Statewide Committee of TLR, Perry's organization that gave money to his wife in the first place.9 Mike, working with TLR, and Connie, working with Bay Area Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse, helped pass a law that stripped homebuyers of their rights -- allowing Perry to save millions by freeing him from fixing foundation, drywall and plumbing probes in the thousands of homes he sells. Democrats and Republicans alike have called for abolishing the agency the law created -- the agency that is controlled by Bob Perry and is chaired by Perry's own lawyer.

Money, political favors, and politicians who do the bidding of the special interests -- it's what's wrong with Austin. It's why we can't afford Connie Scott."

PAID FOR BY: Abel Herrero Campaign

MEDIUM: Direct mail

THE ISSUE:

It's no surprise that Texans for Lawsuit Reform has donated to Connie Scott's bid to wrest control of District 34 from Abel Herrero. Scott is executive director of Bay Area Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse. Both TLR and BACALA believe the same things. They are involved in what's commonly known as tort reform, a set of proposed laws that seek to curtail the number of lawsuits and the size of awards that injured parties can collect. Tort reform advocates see themselves as protecting small business from "frivolous" lawsuits.

Bob Perry, owner of Perry Homes, is a kind of conservative bogeyman to Democrats, for his role in funding Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. He is one of the country's largest political donors, but some Democrats have received contributions from him.

Bob Perry gave $1.7 million to TLR, and $9,000 amounts to less than 1 percent of that total. When money goes to a political action committee, the donor generally loses control of the money. However, donors rarely give to political action committees that give to candidates or causes they don't support.

Herrero also has received money from a political action committee that has been the beneficiary of Perry.

Perry has seen some of his favored initiatives become law. Texas home builders, of which Perry is one, pushed hard to create the Texas Residential Construction Commission. John Krugh, a vice president and general counsel for Perry Homes, was appointed to head the construction commission. The crux of the law was a provision ordering buyers and builders to go through a dispute resolution process before pursuing formal action, such as suing in court. Home buyers who did not follow this process risked losing their right to sue.

Texas' Sunset Advisory Commission, which issues reports and recommendations to the legislature on the effectiveness of various agencies, recommended that the residential construction commission be abolished. The sunset review found that no other regulatory agency had a potentially more devastating impact on homebuyers.